Run
by OTH90210
Summary: You're turn, turn, turn, turning me on Like a slow fire burn I know that it's wrong Still I run, run, run, run right into you Yeah, I run, run, run, run right into you
1. Prologue

True Love Always.

Right. Why is life always so complicated? Maybe because you make stupid decisions when you are 18 years old and the love of your life ends up engaged to someone else by the time you realize that you made the biggest mistake of your life? Yep. That may have something to do with it.

Peyton exhaled deeply and placed a hand in his hair. 'How in the world did it come to this?' the voice in her head wondered. Yet, here they were... Four years, one rejected proposal, and a wedding gone awry later, she had found Lucas completely hammered, passed out on the bartop at Tric as she left her office that evening.

Despite everything, she couldn't leave him there.

That is how they ended up here. Lucas passed out drunk, hoping that the runaway bride (Man-Faced Lindsay) would come back to him, and Peyton leaning over him after getting him home safely and into his bed and pulling the blanket up over his shirtless torso. Good God, did the man have a sexy chest... 'Stop it, Peyton!' she chastised silently. What a mess.

Sighing inwardly, looked down at him. "Oh Luke... I'm so sorry." She felt her heart crumble for the broken man lying before her. "I didn't want this for you." She whispered, placing a gentle kiss to his temple. Quietly, she retreated to the door, guilt and pain weighing her whole body down. After all, it was clearly her fault that Lindsay has left Luke at the altar. Peyton shook the thoughts from her head and began to reach for the door knob until his ragged voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Peyton." She lifted her head, glancing back toward the bed as a warm smile spread across her face. He may be drunk, but damn, was his drunk voice hot! His head lifted from the pillow and their eyes connected from across the room. "I hate you." Her heart stopped.

"What?" she managed, a mix of anger and confusion washing over her features.

"I wish you never came back." A knife stabbed through her chest, followed by an immense weight. Was she drowning? "You ruined my life." Lucas turned away from the door and put his head back on the pillow. She exhaled. Tears welled in her eyes and her whole body felt tingly and numb. However she was feeling something. Her heart must have started beating again. How? _Those_ words from _him_ surely should have killed her.

Her jaw dropped slightly as her brain struggled to process his venomous words. This had to be a nightmare. Her mind was racing, yet frozen at the same time. Unable to form any coherent thoughts, Peyton turned and exited the room before the flood gates opened. As she closed the door behind her, hysterical sobs racked her body and she slid slowly against the door until she hit the ground.

* * *

Peyton's eyes slowly opened, only to be assaulted with a stream of bright light. She quickly shut them, rubbed them gently, and tried to open again. Her ass was freezing and her back hurt like a bitch. She could tell that she was curled up on a cold, hard surface with her back leaning awkwardly against a wall.

As her eyes adjusted to the light she took in her surroundings. She was outside. On a porch. Glancing to the left and the right, she came to the realization that she was on Lucas's porch. Bits and pieces of the previous evening came back to her, and she looked down at her hands, taking note of the mascara that was now smeared all over them. Awesome. It wasn't a nightmare. Lucas Scott hated her. Fabulous.

She managed to make her way to her feet awkwardly, and limped over to her comet. Damn. Yet another reminder that she wasn't a reckless teenager anymore. Getting old sucks. Apparently, the days of passing out wherever she landed after a rough night were long gone.

She wasn't sure where she was going, but she needed to be anywhere but there. The last thing she needed was to encounter him this morning. Hopping into the car, Peyton started the engine and drove off, hoping that it was still early enough that Lucas wouldn't be awake.

* * *

Peyton sighed, angrily tossing another CD into the trash can beside her desk. Why did all of these demos suck so badly? It was bad enough that her personal life was a disaster. The last thing she needed was for her business to fail, as well. Haley and Mia were great, but she desperately needed to make this work. Not to mention the fact that she now needed to look into moving into another building STAT. There was absolutely no way that she could continue to work from Tric. It was bad enough when he didn't love her. It was awful when he was marrying someone else. However, the new knowledge that Lucas Scott actually _hated_ Peyton Sawyer was just too much to handle.

Peyton looked at the stack of demos and swiped them angrily to the floor with her arm. What a bunch of uninspired garbage... She rose to her feet and walked over to a stack of some of her favorite records, carefully thumbing through the collection before finally settling on one that suited her current mood. She gingerly slid it from it's sleeve and placed it on the player, setting the needle precisely where she wanted it before heading back to her desk. As the music filled the room, she propped her feet up on the desk, leaned back into the chair and closed her eyes.

 _There is no pain, you are receding  
A distant ship, smoke on the horizon  
You are only coming through in waves_

Your lips move, but I can't hear what you are saying

 _When I was a child, I had a fever  
My hands felt just like two balloons  
Now I've got that feeling once again  
I can't explain, you would not understand  
This is not how I am  
_ _  
I have become comfortably numb_

"Pink Floyd" She hears a voice as the music volume faded a bit. "Nice."

"Haley James Scott," Peyton sat up, attempting her best fake grin as she tried to rub her tears inconspicuously. "How's the songwriting coming?"

"Well... I'm having trouble coming up with lyrics for this melody that you like." Haley admitted, flopping into the seat across the desk.

"What have you got so far?"

"So far, I've got" she paused dramatically... "Nothing." Haley hung her head, clearly frustrated with her writer's block.

Peyton shook her head and giggled a bit before looking up at Haley. "How about 'I hate you bitch, you ruined my life'. That do anything for ya?" she attempted a joke, leaning forward to rest her chin in her hands on the desk. Unfortunately, the joke was lost on Haley, who just quirked her eyebrow, waiting for further explanation. Peyton sighed deeply. "Lucas." she admitted.

"WHAT? He SAID that to you?!" Haley shoved back from the chair, rising to her feet angrily.

"Well, the 'bitch' part may have been a bit of creative liberty, but it was definitely implied..." Peyton looked up at her friend.

"I'm going to beat his ass!" the brunette began pacing back and forth in front of the desk before Peyton walked around the desk and grabbed her arm gently.

"Don't. He was drunk, and he was right. I should have stayed in LA. Then Lindsay wouldn't have left, and none of this would be as big of a mess as it is right now. He's your best friend. Please do not put yourself in the middle of this." She looked into the unconvinced brown eyes. "Please. I don't want to relive it and I don't want to drag it out. Just let it be. For me?"

Haley rolled here eyes, but conceded, nodding her head slowly. "Fine. you win." she agreed. "But if you change your mind..." she began, grabbing her purse from the chair.

"I know." Peyton hugged her. "You are an amazing friend, Haley James Scott. Now... Go write something awesome." she said, shooing her out of the office playfully.

Turning back and looking into the space, she shook her head sadly. This office was perfect. It was so uniquely Peyton. Not at all like the stuffy, cubicle ridden Hell that she had worked in at Sire Records. "It's been real, Tree Hill." she whispered quietly as she exited the office.

She shut the door carefully and glanced over at the bar, then to the exit, sizing up her options for the evening. "What the hell..." she mumbled to herself, and made her way over to the bar, flagging down the bartender. She definitely deserved a drink after the hellacious 24 hours she had just endured.

The small town bar had filled up nicely in the time since Peyton had sat down. How long ago that was, she really had no idea. But it was at least 3 cocktails and 5 shots ago. She had lost count after that. She stirred her drink with her straw and glanced up toward the doors. The sight made her heart drop. Blonde hair and crystal blue eyes greeted her on the other side of the bar.

Fan-Fucking-Tastic. This day just keeps getting better.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's note: I don't typically write these, but just wanted to make a note to direct people to re-read my prologue, as I had edited it since the story was originally posted in January and added a semi-important scene. Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

"LUCAS EUGENE SCOTT! What the HELL is wrong with you?" Her voice shrieked from his bedroom, followed by the distinctive 'BANG' of the door slamming behind her. Lucas let out a sigh and tipped his eyes to the ceiling, making a quick mental prayer that Haley would go easy on him. Judging by the sound of her voice, he had done something wrong. Again. Not that it was a surprise. Taking into account the intense hangover he had and the fact that he couldn't remember how he got home, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that he had possibly made some less than stellar decisions the previous night.

Poking his head around the door frame, he gave her a weary smile. "Morning" he mumbled, trying to keep the volume low in order to not exacerbate the pounding in his head. He smirked a bit when he noticed her, standing in front of his door with her hands on her hips, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed together tightly. He looked at her quizzically, racking his brain for anything he could have done to piss her off, but it was useless. The last thing he remembered was sitting at trick after several shots. Instead of guessing, he just braced himself for the lecture that was clearly about to come.

"Why are you such a jackass?" she shook her head, blowing out a frustrated breath of air and beginning to pace the room. "I mean, I know that you are kind of a mess right now with Lindsay dating again and what happened at the game with that kid, but Peyton definitely didn't deserve THAT!" she rambled, looking up at him expectantly.

"Wait, hold up." he entered the room. "What does Peyton have to do with any of it?"

"Don't give me that crap, Luke. You may be able to fool everyone else, but me?" she paused, shaking her head. "I am your BEST friend. I know you better than you know yourself. And I KNOW that you do not HATE Peyton Sawyer."

Lucas shifted his gaze to the ground, pieces of the previous nights coming back to him in waves. "Shit" He looked up in horror as the fuzzy memory of her tucking him into his bed rattled around in his head. "I was a jerk." he conceded.

"Damn right you were!" Haley shoved him in the chest. "You're an idiot! She is in love with you! You probably broke her heart." She explained, her voice lowering in volume as she calmed down.

"Oh, I didn't break her heart. Don't be dramatic." Lucas grumbled, sitting down on the side of his bed.

"Look, whether you see it or not, I can see that there are some unresolved feelings for Peyton in your heart. I know that you kissed her the night you proposed to Lindsay. I know that The Comet is about Peyton, even if you refuse to see it." She picked at her sleeve a bit, taking a seat beside him and resting her head on his shoulder. "Luke, what do you want? If Lindsay is the girl that you are in love with, great. If it's Peyton, Great! If it's Brooke, just please. Stop hiding your heart." She looked sincerely into Luke's blue eyes. "I mean it." She concluded, standing up and walking out of the room, leaving Lucas alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"Well, well..." He leaned in behind her, his hot breath washing over her ear and her neck. "Fancy meeting you here." He smirked, throwing her a wink as she turned to face him.

"Get a life, Keller." Peyton mumbled, her words semi-slurred from the volume of alcohol that she had consumed.

"Hey now!" He backed up a step, holding his hands up in surrender. "Chris Keller was just trying to say hello to an old friend." the smirk appeared again. "No need to get all hostile." He motioned to the bartender for a beer and took residence on the bar stool beside Peyton. He had always enjoyed her semi-bitchy personality and witty sarcasm. Drunk Peyton without a filter should be even more entertaining.

Peyton rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted to deal with this evening was Chris Keller's return to Tree Hill and all of the drama that he always brings with him. Figures. Haley and Nate were finally getting their shit back together and Keller shows back up, undoubtedly to throw a wrench in their marriage, yet again. Her eyes shot up at him, red with rage. "You stay the HELL away from Haley, Keller!" Realizations of his likely intentions washing over her, despite her inebriated state.

He laughed outwardly at her protectiveness over Nate and Haley's relationship. "Calm down, Blondie." he chuckled. "I didn't come back for Haley." He reasoned, taking a swig of the beer that had been placed in front of him. Peyton eyed him warily, no doubt trying to decide whether or not she believed him before she appeared to accept his answer and motioning to the bartender for another shot. "You sure that's a good idea?" He asked her amusedly.

"Listen up." She slammed her palm on the bar top, more pissed off with his presence as the minutes ticked by. "You don't know me." She winced at the familiarity of those words. "You don't know shit." she amended. "I can handle myself just fine. Been doing it for years..." She mumbled bitterly.

"If you say so." He picked at the label of his drink. "You look sad. Care to let Chris Keller get you out of here and cheer you up?" he raised his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Ugh. Gross." Peyton suppressed the bile rising from her stomach at the suggestion. Chris tipped his head back in laughter. God, she was fun to rile up. "What's the matter, Keller? Couldn't make it in the music business, so you've decided to head back to tree hill and pick up chicks in bars?" Her voice dripped with venom.

His laughter stopped, and an unrecognizable look washed over his face for a moment. It looked strangely like a mix of shame and regret, but she must have been mistaken. He was entirely too cocky to be able to muster those emotions. He quickly recovered and an amused smile replaced the look that she hadn't been able to put her finger on. "Well..." He began in a taunting tone, "It's almost too easy when I find one sitting alone at the bar, totally wasted." He shot her a pointed look. "Didn't anyone ever teach you about how dangerous it is to get drunk alone?" His tone a bit more serious. "You could end up going home with a sleazy, washed up musician and waking up with a million regrets in the morning." He joked. "Or, you could have the best night of your life..." He added with a wink, getting up from his spot and heading to a group of people across the room.

* * *

Peyton stepped into the restroom and leaned her back against the wall, brushing her hair out of her face. She must be drunk. Or Hallucinating. Or trapped in some sort of alternate universe. Maybe all three. "Or, you could have the best night of your life..." His words resonated in her brain. Was she really contemplating a hook up with CHRIS KELER? Of all people? .way. She needed to get the hell out of this bar and go to bed. This day had just worn on her, she reasoned. She made her way over to the sinks, checking her reflection in the mirror. She pulled her lip gloss out of her purse for a quick touch up and really studied her reflection. She had grown up quite a bit in the last few years and was rocking a much more mature look than she did back in high school. However, she still had the same sad, empty eyes. She blew some air out, semi frustrated with the decisions that had led her to this point. She was twenty two years old. She was meant to be learning who she was and making this world her bitch. Instead, she came back to Tree Hill and chased her engaged high school ex-boyfriend around like a lost puppy. Pathetic.

"No more" she promised herself, taking a last glance into the mirror, and tucking the lip gloss back into her bag, rubbing her lips together. Maybe she wasn't going to hook up with Chris Keller *shudder*, but she wasn't going to wait around for Lucas Scott anymore. How many people actually end up with their high school flames anyway? She tousled her blonde locks a bit, and headed back out into the crowded bar armed with a smile and a new attitude.

"UHMPH!" And maybe a bruised forehead... She thought as she ran headfirst into the restroom door when it abruptly stopped and swung back toward her.

"Ouch! Damn!" She heard a male voice on the other side of the door exclaim. "Watch what you are doing!" Chris jumped out of the way, rubbing his shoulder. Figures. Of the hundreds of people in this bar, it would be him she ran into.

"Who stands in front of the bathroom doors anyway?" She retorted, absently rubbing her forehead. Chris's angry features softened when he saw the red mark already appearing on Peyton's pale skin. Instinctively, he reached out and brushed her hair from her forehead to check the severity of her injury. She winced in pain as his thumb brushed across the affected area.

"Sober enough to feel, still eh?" He quipped. Not surprisingly, he earned a glare rather than a laugh from the blonde. "Let's go get you some ice." He suggested, wrapping a friendly arm around her shoulder. 'Definitely an Alternate Universe' Peyton thought, somewhat bitterly, as she allowed him to guide her back to the bar to ask for some ice.

* * *

"Let me see" He demanded, removing the ice from her forehead and inspecting the damage, a short time later. "I think it will be okay. May not even bruise..."

"Thanks" She forced out, looking down at the bar top. "Now, if only the same could be said for my ego... What a strange night, huh?" She laughed a bit. "You never did tell me how you ended up back here, you know." She probed, looking up into his eyes and diverting his attention from her injured forehead.

"Eh, just needed to find my roots again for a while. This is where is all started, you know." Chris shrugged nonchalantly, trying desperately to draw his attention away from her sweet pink lips and back to her injury. Peyton quirked an eyebrow at the response and tried to pretend she didn't notice his eyes lingering on her lips. She instead nodded, signaling that she understood.

"How about you?" He started, "Heard through the grapevine that you spent some time out in LA. What brings you back to good ol' North Carolina?" She looked down for a moment, debating whether she should give him her 'party line' answer, which sounded strangely like the one he had just given her, or if she should tell him the truth. Luckily, the music in the club changed, just as she was about to answer and she managed to avoid the question all together.

"This is MY SONG!" She shouted over the music, dragging him to his feet and out to the dance floor. Damn, the girl was good at avoidance. And full of surprises. He never would have pegged Peyton to have the typical 'Sorority Girl' reaction to a song and drag someone out onto the dance floor... But who was he to complain? The girl was hot as hell.

* * *

A few songs (and several drinks) later, and both blondes had let their guard down enough to be having a great time on the dance floor with one another. Peyton spun around to face him and accidentally spilled a bit of her drink on his shirt in the process. She giggled a bit and apologized, looking around the crowded space helplessly for something to wipe it off with. "Don't worry about it" he mumbled gruffly, grabbing her hands and pulling her body into his chest. Peyton looked up at him in surprise and paused to catch her breath, her bright green eyes locking with his crystal blue ones. She dropped one of his hands and placed hers gently against his chest, running her fingers over the buttons on his shirt. Chris seized the opportunity to wrap his free hand around the back of her head and tangle his fingers into her hair, gently pulling her face in toward him as he leaned in to her.

Peyton hesitated for a moment, then closed the distance between them, crashing her lips onto his and surprising both of them. She quickly pushed the thoughts out of her head that someone they know may see them and let herself get lost in the kiss. After a few minutes, Chris forced himself to break the kiss. "Want to get out of here?" he breathed into her ear, bracing himself for her to decline his request. She shocked the hell out of him when she nodded slowly and gave him a coy smirk, pulling him toward the exit of the club.


End file.
